A lack of hardware updates leaves customers and investors disappointed in the new iPhone 4S

Through a good portion of 2011, many awaited the big iPhone 5 announcement with the traditional amped-up presentation to show off all the new features an Apple fan could hope for. Instead, what they got was the iPhone 4S and a presentation that lacked the charisma of former CEO Steve Jobs.

The iPhone 4S, which was announced yesterday, does give customers a few changes to look forward to. It's trading in the single-core A4 processor for a dual-core A5 processor. Also, it has 8-megapixel camera with backside illumination (the iPhone 4 had a 5MP camera), the new mobile operating system iOS 5, and it can operate on CDMA and GSM networks.

A main addition to the 4S is the voice assistant called Siri. Siri has been a third-party app that could be downloaded for iOS devices, but now, a more fluid and user-friendly version of the app is integrated into the iPhone 4S. The app was removed from Apple's App Store after presenting the 4S yesterday, and the servers were taken offline. The Siri servers, however, are back online with the following message: "I've been replaced! The new Siri is even smarter and better looking than me, and waiting for you on the iPhone 4S. I'll be leaving for home Oct. 15th. Until then...how can I help you?"

While a newer, better version of Siri voice command is a nice addition to the 4S; it may not be enough to encourage current iPhone 4 users to switch to the latest addition to the iPhone family. Many were disappointed by the lack of external changes, saying they had hoped for a thinner phone with a larger screen. The iPhone's appearance has not changed in over a year, unless you count the release of the white iPhone 4.

"It's been 16 months and all you've got is an A5 processor in the existing iPhone 4," said Colin Gillis, an analyst with BGC Partners. "It's a mild disappointment, but they're still going to be selling millions of units."

The iPhone 4S may sell during the upcoming holiday season due to the expiration of two-year 3GS contracts, but Android-powered smartphones are at the top of their game and Apple really could have used a home run with a new device to intensify competition. Android-powered smartphones had voice command features integrated into their systems already, and the hardware/software is continuously changing. Apple's decision to not update hardware in the 4S may lead to more Android-related purchases, putting the iPhone maker behind by the time it releases the iPhone 5.

According to a Nielsen study, Android-powered smartphones are No. 1 in the U.S. with a 43 percent market share leaving the iPhone at No. 2 with a 28 percent market share.

Consumers and investors are disappointed in the 4S release, but Apple has some other tricks up its sleeve. Along with the 4S announcement came the news of a $99 iPhone 4 and a free iPhone 3GS for those who sign long-term contracts with their wireless carriers. This will appeal to low-end markets and give Apple an edge in a whole new area.

"Apple is hitting Nokia where it's vulnerable," said Michael Yoshikami, CEO of YCMNet Advisors. "How many billions of people in emerging markets would love to have an iPhone? These are a growing demographic."

quote: Great endorsement you have there for the typical iPhone user's intelligence and knowledge of current events lol.

I didn't say iPhone users were tech savvy. Typically, they aren't. It's just a joke to think any significant number of them will be moving to Android any time soon.

I'm serious. They ask if I have an iPhone. I say "no." They seem shocked, since I am really into devices. I say, "well, I have an Android phone." They stare blankly. I say, "it's kind of like an iPhone, but on mine I have a keyboard." They look slightly less confused. Tomorrow I say "Android" and get the same blank stare.

They don't care. They don't know what IOS is. They have an iPhone and are happy. This is why Apple is successful. They made a device that people like and they don't need to know any tech speak to use it.

quote: I'm serious. They ask if I have an iPhone. I say "no." They seem shocked, since I am really into devices. I say, "well, I have an Android phone." They stare blankly. I say, "it's kind of like an iPhone, but on mine I have a keyboard." They look slightly less confused. Tomorrow I say "Android" and get the same blank stare.

So because you know vapid idiots, that means something in an argument?

I mean seriously, come on now, it's the end of 2011 and you're trying to tell me you know THAT many people who literally think Apple makes the only phone on the planet? There's nobody out there like that worth even bringing up. So what?

Wtf does tech savvy have to do with your argument? That's like saying someone is "tech savvy" because they know Ford makes vehicles too, not just Chevrolet. It's called "common knowledge"! Ever heard of it?

Again making people seem REALLY dense and ignorant of basic current events doesn't actually make an argument good or even relevant. Try again.

quote: So because you know vapid idiots, that means something in an argument?

They aren't vapid idiots. They just don't care about technology the way some of us do.

quote: I mean seriously, come on now, it's the end of 2011 and you're trying to tell me you know THAT many people who literally think Apple makes the only phone on the planet?

I never said that.

quote: Wtf does tech savvy have to do with your argument? That's like saying someone is "tech savvy" because they know Ford makes vehicles too, not just Chevrolet. It's called "common knowledge"! Ever heard of it?

The name of phone operating systems is not common knowledge. Sorry, but it's not. You are comparing OSes that has been around a few years to a car company that has been around over a century? Yeah, people know about Ford. That doesn't mean they know about Android.

quote: Again making people seem REALLY dense and ignorant of basic current events doesn't actually make an argument good or even relevant. Try again.

Look, the original poster has this pipe dream that all the iPhone users are going to leave in droves for the Nexus, based on his 5 friends that are all planning to switch. I call bullshit. I respond with my anecdotal data that says just the opposite. I am aware my data is no better than his, because it is not a world-wide survey. The point was, maybe he knows some people who are happy with iPhones--well, I know some people who are very happy, and don't know anything about the unreleased Nexus--and they don't even know what Android is.

Get as angry as you like, but Android hardware has been superior to iPhone hardware for a long time, yet people keep buying iPhones. Either there's a lot of "vapid idiots" out there, or you are missing something.